Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island CIO and entrepreneur Sudheen Kumar sat down with "Becker's Payer Issues Podcast" to discuss digital transformation in the payer space and his startup, Health-Chain.io. Listen to the full interview here.
Editor's note: This interview has been edited lightly for clarity and cohesion.
Question: What are some of your top priorities and how do you expect them to change in the coming year?
Sudheen Kumar: That's a great question. This is a great time to be in healthcare and healthcare technology. Because of COVID-19, a lot of things changed as far as digital transformation. The top priorities are primarily around interoperability in healthcare. There are a few things we are focusing on both at Blue Cross as well as with my own organization, Health Chain. Member engagement is a No. 1 priority. We want to make accessing information easier and simpler for our members. And with that in mind, one of the things we are looking at is the digital health path. Everyone is trying to get vaccinated. So now the question is how you use that vaccination card when you travel, when you go to a sporting event or when you go to a restaurant. Some small businesses and employers might even require their employees to have proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.